Abstract:

The Digital Twin concept, also called Cyber Twin, Digital Shadow, or Digital Replica, is one of the pillars of the Industry 4.0 paradigm [1, 2] and is mainly referred to a simulation environment simulation environment that accurately represents the dynamics of the real-world system [3]. This concept is receiving increasing attention from both Academy and Industry, and, therefore, it must be handled in Engineering Education for a proper learning of future engineers. In particular, in the University of Extremadura, in the Degree of Electronic Engineering and Automation and Degree of Electrical Engineering, there are courses devoted to automation and robotics where DTs have been introduced in laboratory sessions.

Namely, the software PLC-SIM of Siemens has been applied for virtual emulation of Programmable Logic Controllers (PLC) during automation-related sessions. Supervisory systems, commonly known as Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems, are also simulated using the programming software of Siemens, Totally Integrated Automation (TIA) Portal, in order to test the feasibility of the designed interfaces. Even more, both DTs can be executed and communicated to share information in real time [4].

On the other hand, the RobotStudio software of ABB has been used to replicate the operation of robotic arms with three dimensional representations. In both cases, the configuration of the equipment (PLC and robot) is exactly the same that physical devices require; students can learn and validate their code and parameterization under real-world scenarios thanks to the DTs. In addition, an added value is that the applied software is the same that students will manage in future professional situations. The software tools and the laboratory sessions are described, together with educational considerations derived from the experience.

References:
[1] A.J. Calderón, I. González. “Design and implementation of Smart Micro-Grid and its Digital Replica. First steps,” 16th International Conference on Informatics in Control, Automation and Robotics, Prague, Czech Republic, July 2019.
[2] D. Orive, A. López, E. Estévez, A. Orive, M. Marcos. “Development of digital twins to simulate and integrate manufacturing assets in the Industry 4.0,” Jornadas de Automática, Castellón, Spain, September 2021.
[3] E. O’Dwyer, I. Pan, S. Acha, N Shah. “Smart energy systems for sustainable smart cities: Current developments, trends and future directions,” Applied Energy, vol. 237, pp. 581-597, 2019.
[4] A.J. Calderón, I. González. “Software-in-the-Loop approach for automation and supervisory systems education,” 12th International Technology, Education and Development Conference, Valencia, Spain, March 2018.

Keywords:

Digital twin, Automation, Supervision, Robotics, Laboratory sessions.